Going on a boar hunt

[SlowBowinMO]

Turpentine, great post.  I also agree with you wholeheartedly.  Save the Woodsmans for deer, they seem to need a whole lot less killin' than hogs do.

I'll take a big 2 blade or 2 blade with bleeders every time.

[Turpentine]

Thanks for the compliment Slowbo.  The Woodsman does seem to zip right through a deer but hogs are a different story.  If I were to use the Woodsman for hogs again, I'd step my bow weight up to 60# minimum and I'd still pick the two blade with bleeders or wide two blade given the option.  The small bleeders on the zwickey just seem to help give a little better blood trail than the two blade alone.  It's amazing how a hog can close up.  I've recovered them after the shot and even though I saw the impact point, had to search for a couple minutes just to find the impact hole.  The big ones are tough to get an exit on.  Thats another reason for shooting them low.
2Blade, You said you may either stand hunt or spot n stalk.  I'm limited on spot and stalk advice.  I broke my back in a treestand accident 2 years ago and can't walk very well or far now.  Fortunately, I can still climb and do most of my hunting from stands.  One thing I can tell you is to listen often.  They are pretty vocal and theres not much louder than a hog rooting in river cane.  Lots of popping and crackling.
When stand hunting for deer, I like to stay around 18 to 22 feet high.  When strictly hog hunting, I'll drop down to around 12 to 15 feet.  This gives me a better shot angle to get under the shield.  
Good Luck,
Let us know how it turns out,
Turpentine

[2Blade]

My cousin wants to still hunt I think for film quality tho a stand hunt would be much better but I too want to get up close to a big boar. We did some squirrel filming and were on the move and it still came out good so we should be fine.

Now heres a good question when im in range of a group of hogs how do I tell which is a boar or a sow? I was told sows have tusk too and can be as big as the boars sometimes im guessing the ones that have piglets following them around arent the ones to shoot? I was told to stare at the boars rear because you can often see his man hood and that is a good indication. Also is it rare to catch a boar alone or are they usualy in groups? Sorry for all the questions.

[Turpentine]

Most of the boars I've seen have a rear end that looks out of proportion with the front end.  Rear end looking small in relation to the front.  Sows seem to be more in proportion.  Normally the sows bag is easy to see. Seems they either just had pigs, just weened pigs, or are carrying again, So they tend to sag. Most large boars are very dominant when around a group of sows and pigs and are usually given space readily.  I've seen them alone or in groups.  Groups of boars seem to spar alot.  It's not to hard to distinguish between sexes.
At recurve distance from the ground or not so high stand, you can usually see a boars penis sheath from broadside and the testicles are usually very visible from various rear views.
If traveling with sows and pigs, the larger boars are usually the last to come in to a stand site when bait is used.  I guess they prefer to let the sows and pigs test the waters. They aren't as wary as deer but they have a great nose.  Some of the older boars seem to just sense when somethings not quite right.
Turpentine

[2Blade]

Thanks for the tips Turp ill keep that in mind.

[AnointedArcher]

Hey 2Blade here is a little porker my 8 year old grandson shot last year. He was using a 42lb @ 28" Browning recurve with chundo arrows tipped with the old bear razor heads minus the bleeder blade. He made about a 15 yard shot and center punched the little guy, it ran less then 30 yards.
 

[2Blade]

Looks like a great shot thats some good shooting and hes got many years to progress imagine him in 10 years!

[AnointedArcher]

He turns 10 in August and in Michigan they can legally bow hunt deer, guess where he will be opening weekend  

[Turpentine]

2Blade, I've killed three more since my last post. We're under orders from landowner to kill all we see or he'll find someone that will.  Dry sow at 240#s,53# bow, 2117 and 4blade magnus 125, 60 yard recovery.  60# pig, same bow and arrow, zwickey eskimo 125, complete passthru, 50 yard recovery.  225# boar, same bow, sitka spruce arrow with zwickey eskimo 4blade (total 520 grains), 75 yard recovery.  All were shot tight to the front leg and very slightly quartered away.  Hit the sow a little high. The Magnus did a good job.  Left a decent blood trail, a large hole and I watched her fall. I just don't like replacable bleeders.  They don't do well in targets and all I practice with is broadheads.  The boar was hit half way up the body with the arrow angling down and into the opposite leg. No exit because the leg bone was centered.  I was impressed with the 4blade eskimo. I usually shoot 2blades.  It made a big nasty hole and left a blood trail Stevie Wonder could follow.
Turpentine
PS  Did you ever decide on a bow.

[2Blade]

Good deal Turp you got a PM

[Turpentine]

Annointed Archer
Tell your grandson I said good job on the pig.  Good to see a young fellow shooting traditional gear.
A couple years ago, I was shooting my 60# recurve in a 3-D tournament.  I was shooting alone and a ten year old boy came up and walked with me while I shot and asked a billion questions.  He finally got up the courage to ask if he could shoot my bow.  He said he'd never shot a recurve before.  This little 75 pound boy shot the last fifteen targets with me shooting my 60# bow.  Afterward, he told me that was the best time he'd ever had at a 3-d tournament.  Turned out his dad is a big time tournament archer with wheel bow and so was the little boy.
I havn't seen the boy since but I sure hope his dad bought him a recurve.  So many times the little guys just don't get exposed to our type of equipment and its a shame.
Turpentine

[trubltrubl]

Russian boars(males) have a shield under the skin that extends from the front of the shoulder to the last rib. It thins out near the belly.You will not penetrate it form a broadside shot. Quartering away is the only shot that will penetrate the vitals. Use a two blade as three blade has far less penetration. I speak from many hog hunts on Wilsd Boars

[trubltrubl]

Are the Boars you are hunting purebred Russian wild boar? If so, as I said on my last post , they have a shield under the skin much like a kelar vest that is not penetratable by standard weight bows  on a broadside shot. I have only seen one occaision where an arrow penetrated into the vitals on a broadsude shot and it was very low right behind the front leg where the shield thins, a very difficult shot to make!sbrussian

[2Blade]

They have a mixture of Russian and European boars im not sure of the difference maybe size? Id like to go after the Russians from what ive seen on TV they are huge and that's what I want being these are in an inclosure im not sure if their as big as some wild ones. Ive seen the Fiztgeralds ( Dan and Guy) shoot some monster hogs some of the ones Guy shot were 4-500lbs. My take on their preserve they let the animals free range inside the fence which is suppose to be really big and they pretty much live wild so to speak I guess they dont feed them but im guessing they have food plots because some of the deer they have are giants again I wont be sure until I go.

[jon]

I would definately go with the 2 blade and try for quartering away shots behind the shield. The shield on a 200# hog can stop a 3 blade in its tracks. Got a friend a shot at a 250+# boar and he shot it at 6 yards with a 60# recurve. He was shooting snuffers. Got less than 3 inches of penetration. Arrow stuck in the shield and broke off. I killed one the next day that was 220#. Shot it with a 52# recurve with a 160gr Stos. Took a quartering shot and got a pass thru.

[flungonin]

A lot of good comments on here. A couple of things to reiterate. Two blade, make sure they are as sharp as you can get them, also be able to hit where you aim. An aluminum, wood or carbon with a "sharp" broadhead put loooow and tucked in behind the front leg quartering away will put them down. It doen't have to pass thru, it just has to get in and cut. Also I would limit my distance to 10-18 yds. If this is possible. I hunted Tioga in 96'. Had a absoulute blast. The guide allowed me to distract my buddies boar for him to get closer and to get the quartering away shot. We got treed once. But another party of two got treed and lost a new bow in the process when the one hunter failed to make a anchoring hit and was chased. He threw down his bow while running to a tree and the bow didn't make it to the ground. The boar got tangled up in the bow and destroyed it. But it gave the hunter enough time to make it up a tree and wait till the hog expired at the bottom of the tree he was up. Also don't think the boars will just be standing there waiting for you to take a shot. There might be 5-25 sounders. Go slow pick out which one you want and wait till you have a good shot and pick your spot, pick another spot inside that spot, and when the fletchings go thru that last spot then take in the whole experence. I have used #45 to #65 bows. As long as you can hit what your aiming at and have a sharp 2 bladed broadhead you'll do fine. Have fun, let us know when the video will air or how to get a copy.

[2Blade]

Will do we will be making copies of the video to sell for $5 we feel that is cheap and that is enough for us to keep dubbing videos. We already have some squirrel footage and got 5 on camera kills I also have one deer kill with my instinctive compound this was before I got in to a trad bow. Our video is based around our style of hunting which is to put meat on the table and not get caught up in the trophy hunting aspect that people do currently.

We are not against trophy hunters but we feel they are missing what hunting use to be about which in taking any animal was a trophy but the meat was the best trophy of the whole deal. If people like our video we plan to make a website in the future BTW we will be on Roger Raglins show I believe in June or July for our squirrel footage. Were going to hunt just about every legal critter with both bow and gun but mainly bow since that is my love of hunting. If anyone would like the video link and if its ok with the MODs & Admin ill be glad to post it to see what you guys think. If you would like to see this please PM me.

[SteveB]

Not to burst your bubble, but every thing I've heard about Tioga is that it is a small "put and take" pen - nothing close to free range either in area or game offered. I have never heard of anyone who went that would return or felt they had a quality experience - even those who went with realistic expectations.

Steve

[2Blade]

I dont like to hear that the place my dad went and killed a red stag had a pen where you could pick your trophy or you could hunt free range and he said it was very much like deer hunting in our woods but he lost the number.

[Bow n' errors]

2Blade, I was born and raised in southern PA and Maryland and have been seeing the "Tioga Boar Hunt" ads among the classifieds forever in a variety of outdoor magazines.  I have always wondered what such a hunt would be like, esp. being so close to home as a youngster.  Please follow up on your hunt, I'd really be interested in what this place that I've beem reading about for years has to offer.  Thanks and have a great hunt.  Best wishes!